As residents of Russia’s southern Krasnodar region surveyed the damage caused by Friday night’s floods, the state water resource agency rejected claims that they exacerbated the disaster.

Around 150 people were killed, most of them in the city of Krymsk, where locals said water levels rose by several metres in the space of a few minutes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an investigation after residents claimed the gates of a reservoir in the mountains above the city were opened on purpose causing a tsunami-like wave to flood the city.

Officials blamed the sheer amount of rainfall over the mountains and claimed that rivers may have burst their banks. A separate criminal investigation was also launched into possible negligence.

Around 30,000 homes are still without power.

Krasnodar’s governor has declared Monday a day of mourning for the victims.